Special Thanks to Spring Plant Sale Volunteers the Birds and the Bees

enhancing life with plants bbgardens.org The MAY/JUNE 2012 Special Thanks to Spring Plant Sale Volunteers Inside Cover & Page 4 The Birds and the Bees Members-Only Class Page 10 Glorious Gardens set for June 2 & 3 Page 3 FRIENDS OF Special Thanks BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS to Spring Plant 2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Henry Ray ��President Tricia Noble ��President-Elect Sale Volunteers Scott Walton ��Treasurer Lou Willie �� Secretary We would like to thank the Hanson Slaughter ��VP Development hundreds of volunteers who Brain Barr �� VP Gardens & Buildings Thomas G. Amason, Jr....Immediate Past President May: made the Spring Plant Sale Carl E. Jones, Jr. �� Officer Oak-leaf Hydrangeas Janet Taylor �� Officer Azaleas possible. Thank you for your Elizabeth Broughton �� Officer Perennials time, sweat and expertise. This At Large: Ferns Cathy Adams year, 9,000 people shopped at Laurie Allen Herbs Rhododendrons Shane Boatright the plant sale and were greeted Maggie Brooke Flowering shrubs Roses (peak) with your love of The Gardens. Gary Burley Barbara Burton You brought our mission to life. Tricia Holbrook Irises Summer Annuals Robert Holmes Margi Ingram Wildflowers Each year, the Spring Plant Clarke Gillespy Sheryl Kimerling Sale offers a large variety of Mike Malone plants backed by the expertise Fred Murray Kathryn Porter of volunteers to promote Lucy Tutwiler Mary Williamson knowledge and appreciation Amanda Fleming, Junior Board President of plants, gardening and the environment. This year was no OUR MIssION exception. Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens promotes public knowledge of plants, gardens and the environment; & receives, raises & administers resources for these purposes. OUR VISION The vision of Birmingham Botanical Gardens is to be one of the nation’s preeminent botanical gardens. STAFF MAIN ....................................................... 205.414.3950 Fred Spicer ..................................................... Executive Director Olivia Alison ....................................... Director of Development Rhododendron maximum, Kaul Wildflower Garden Shown: Sundra Smith Stephanie Banks ............................................Director of Finance Elizabeth Drewry .............................................................Librarian Both the Spring & Fall Plant Ellen Hardy ........................... Education Program Coordinator Sales at Birmingham Botanical Blake Ells.................................... Public Relations Coordinator June: Henry Hughes .........................................Director of Education Gardens further the mission of Crape Myrtles Perennials George Jenkins ............................................Development Officer promoting public knowledge Jason Kirby ....................................Library Assistant & Archivist Andrew Krebbs............... Director of Marketing & Membership Daylilies (peak) Roses and appreciation of plants, Savannah Lanier ...................................Donor Relations Officer Hope Long ......................................Director of Library Services Ferns Southern Magnolias gardens and the environment John Manion ...................... Curator of Kaul Wildflower Garden while providing consumers Shelly McCarty ................................Special Events Coordinator Herbs Summer Annuals Carleen Mitchell ..................................................... Finance Clerk seasonally appropriate planting Jennifer Sanders......................... Plant Adventures Coordinator Hostas Tropicals advice from experts and Phyllis Sutton ............................. Education Activities Specialist Taylor Steele ............................................Volunteer Coordinator satisfaction from supporting Hydrangeas Vegetables Rona Walters ...............................................Membership Assistant a worthwhile cause with each Hemerocallis and Hydrangea, Jemison Lily Garden The Garden Dirt is the newsletter of Friends of Birmingham Botanical purchase. Gardens. The Garden Dirt is published six times a year to foster awareness and support events, services, and significant We would like to also thank our programs of Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. We sponsors: Terra Equities, Dunn welcome your comments and address corrections. Please contact: Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens Real Estate, Royal Cup Coffee, Editor, Andrew Krebbs Rush Wines, Brio’s Tuscan Grill, 2612 Lane Park Road Birmingham, AL 35223 The Homewood Star, Buffalo 205.414.3959 or [email protected] Rock, Fox 6, Leaf & Petal at bbgardens.org Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens practices a policy of equal The Gardens, Birmingham Home opportunity and equal access to services for all persons regardless of race, & Garden and Valpak of Central creed, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, orientation or sex. Birmingham Botanical Gardens is a facility of Birmingham Park and Alabama. Recreation Board. The deadline for the July/August issue is June 15. W Dear Friends: Thank you for your support of The Friends and ELC your patronage of our Spring Plant Sale. I wish Save I could say I’ve planted all of my purchases, but I’ll make a confession: sometimes I buy a plant without knowing exactly where I’ll plant it. I buy it because I like it and believe I will find a th e om place. Occasionally, the place isn’t right for the plant and occasionally I forget a crucial period of watering before planting (or after). The result D a te is the same – a dead plant. This fits within the E definition of gardening, but only if you learn Earth Day from your mistakes, right? Well, I think it’s okay at The Gardens to buy a plant on impulse; to me it’s a harmless May 5 and relatively inexpensive way to practice a little Earth Day indulgence! Birmingham Rose Show at The Gardens May 12-13 I’m looking forward to heading south to see Jim May 5, 2012 Scott’s garden with a full bus of The Gardens’ Alabama Bonsai 11-4 p.m. members later this month and then heading Society Show Free Admission (way) north on our garden tour of Newport, RI, May 19-20 in June. Like all of our trips, these always fill to capacity very quickly. Stay tuned for future trip Alabama’s longest continually-running Central Alabama announcements – there’s no better way to spend Earth Day event brings education to life Daylily Society Sale time with other gardeners and The Gardens’ with unique, educational activities for kids, May 5 supporters than by enjoying the fruit of others’ families and the young at heart. labor! Seriously, these trips are not possible Displays of dozens of local and regional without the help of the garden-makers and Birmingham Fern organizations advocating water, air and the local hosts, and we are grateful for all their Society Lecture land conservation, wildlife protection, efforts and assistance. May 16 energy efficiency, recycling, and healthful, sustainable living will fill the lawn of the Glorious Gardens Hill Garden in front of the Conservatory In this issue, be sure to get more details on Earth June 2-3 with fun-filled, family-focused activities. Day at The Gardens and the return of Glorious The purpose of Earth Day at The Gardens Gardens. The first is our annual gathering of Annual Fern is to promote awareness, understanding and local environmental groups and the second, Society Show dialogue for solutions to environmental our peek “behind the hedges” at the area’s best June 20 issues. It is a participatory approach to private gardens. Our public garden partner is creating new ideas for resolving issues that Railroad Park, and we’re proud to highlight range in scope from local to global. It’s also Member Day Birmingham’s new and vital urban green space. fun! July 21 At the entrance, used electronic devices See you in The Gardens, Cocktails may be dropped off for recycling. in The Gardens Admission is free. Music will be provided August 9 by the Oxymorons. Popcorn and ice water Fred Spicer September 13 are provided throughout the day at no October 11 charge. Executive Director The newest garden, the Arrington Plant Adventure Zone, will be open to the public for the first time. 1 Just Add Water! Olivia Alison, Director of Development When Gail and Marvin Snyder retired to Birmingham, one of the first things they did was join Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Moving often for their active careers, they would visit ENT the local botanical garden whenever they relocated to familiarize themselves with the area and to get help with their new yard. Botanical gardens became a habit! M Since arriving in Alabama, Gail has “gone native.” She loves the “wonderful learning experiences” available at The Gardens and is volunteering with curator John Manion in the P Kaul Wildflower Garden and working with The Gardens Native Plant group in the potting shed. She recently completed the requirements for her Certification in Native Plant Studies. O Last summer, Gail and Marvin saw firsthand the withering effects of Alabama’s heat and drought. They were surprised to find that most of our gardens, including the Kaul EL Wildflower Garden, had no irrigation system. They approached John and said, “We’ll contribute some funds to kick start raising the money needed.” Their seed

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